Senators Unaware of Potential Syrian Refugee Resettlement in U.S.

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), two lawmakers who are part of the gang of eight immigration bill, are unaware of the administration’s willingness to accept thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States.

Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Breitbart News, “Well this country has a long history of asylum and taking people who are fleeing oppression. On the other hand, given the nature of the Syrian conflict, like any asylum seeker, that they be carefully vetted. That’s my initial take. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon have taken in the majority of Syrians who have fled their country.  According to the U.N. refugee agency, the L.A. Times reports, Jordan and Lebanon each have 500,000 refugees while Turkey has 375,000. The number of refugees will double to 3.2 million by the end of the year, the agency predicts.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think right now is the wrong time for us to be opening the doors to any large numbers,” Senator Inhofe (R-OK) told Brietbart News. I know there are problems that are out there that Jordan is facing right now, but if it were up to me, I would advise against it.”

Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), chairman of the armed services committee, told Brietbart News he had not seen the proposal the administration has to potentially resettle Syrian refugees.

“I think we ought to focus on assisting the refugees in the region. That ought to be our focus. But whether or not the administration thinks we should add or have some people come here–I don’t know if its part of some larger plan of the world to resettle some, that may be one thing,” he said.

“I don’t think that would go over very well. It’s news to me. I haven’t heard that,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the armed services committee, remarked to Breitbart News. He added, “I think it would be better policy to help the rebels build militarily than to bring them here. I think it would be big backlash [if the administration tried to brings the refugees here.]”